Model plane on the roof of 77 Water Street

**thomasjfletcher** · January 6th, 2005, 03:24 PM

Does anybody know anything about the model plane on the roof of 77 Water Street? Who commissioned the work and was it made by an “artist”? Is it privately owned? Has anybody got a picture of this wierd thing??

tom
http://www.nyc-architecture.com/

**Jack Ryan** · January 10th, 2005, 08:38 PM

Unfortunately, I have no photos to post but I CAN tell you that the sculpture was designed by some guy named Rudolph de Harak and executed by the sculptor William Tarr in 1969. It is cool, aint it?

**thomasjfletcher** · January 11th, 2005, 08:47 AM

It is-I havn't actually seen it though, I've just heard about it. Apparently it's a full-size model of a WW1 Sopwith Camel, complete with runway. It was put there to amuse inhabitants of surrounding scyscrapers, notably the WTC.
Here's the only pic I could find, a satelite image------(you can see the plane and runway and "77")

**Jasonik** · January 11th, 2005, 08:07 PM

...the biplane on the roof of 77 Water Street in Lower Manhattan, a playful touch installed by the developer, the William Kaufman Organization.

source

Proposed water tower enclosure. :P

...77 Water Street. On each of the four corners of this modern, plaza-style building is a contemporary sculpture. We like the one directly in front of you on the southwest corner: William Tarr’s gentlyswaying Rejected Skin, 1969.

source

Are you sure Jack?

**ZippyTheChimp** · January 11th, 2005, 10:28 PM

Nice research.

**Jasonik** · January 12th, 2005, 06:07 PM

Thanx, I'm disappointed I couldn't find a photo though.
I'd have better luck finding a photo of the Lepus californicus jacalopus :wink:

**Jack Ryan** · January 12th, 2005, 09:33 PM

We're both right! Rudolph de Harak and William Tarr are credited with both the biplane sculpture AND 'Rejected Skin'. The latter is indeed made from rejected pieces of the building's aluminum siding.

**asg** · January 28th, 2005, 01:00 PM

I have a decent picture of the roof of this building, how do I post it here?

**NYatKNIGHT** · January 28th, 2005, 01:16 PM

How to post a photo: http://forums.wirednewyork.com/viewtopic.php?t=1280

**asg** · January 29th, 2005, 09:25 AM

**ManhattanKnight** · January 29th, 2005, 11:48 AM

Another one:

**Jasonik** · May 19th, 2005, 06:30 PM

Originally Posted by Law & Order

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...lr%3D%26sa%3DN

**Jasonik** · February 12th, 2007, 02:57 PM

**philiph** · March 8th, 2007, 07:08 PM

Here's a picture I took of the top of 77 Water St. when I worked in a nearby building.

**lofter1** · March 8th, 2007, 11:32 PM

Nice shot ^^^

I wish they would do some work on the street level plaza at 77 Water Street ... it is pure 70s, all most to the point of kitsch, but currently looks a tad ragged around the edges.

nyc-architecture has images of how it looks now.

Here are some renders of ideas for the plaza from Cameron Sinclair: